PRESBYTERIANS’ ADVANCE

Taranaki Daily News, 3 August 1931, Page 11

PRESBYTERIANS’ ADVANCE

HISTORY OF CHURCH ACTIVITY DIFFICULTY OF EAKLY SETTLERS. ENTERPRISING IN UNDERTAKINGS . The history of the Presbyterian Church in New Plymouth shows that the church has passed through many vicissitudes, which have but served to strengthen it. The history is one of painstaking endeavour and loyalty .to the, faith, the rewards of which are being reaped in the position the church is in to-day, as seen by the new building,' the foundation .stone of which was laid on Saturday. The earliest .settlers landed in New Plymouth in 1841 and, as they came mostly from Devonshire, there were few, if any, Presbyterians. among them. The settlers had a hard struggle, but were making some progress when in 1860 the Maori War broke out. The war was still in progress jn 1863, and though the Maoris, had {suffered some reverses, it wais still unsafe to go outside the lines unarmed. It was not a, propitious time -for the • establishment of a hew church, but on April 12, 1863, the Rev. John Thom, an itinerant preacher, began regular services in a chapel'in Devon Street, which had been'erected by the but was no longer used by them. Mr. Thom was more at home in pioneering work than an a settled minister, and when he left for New South Wales the Rev. R. F. McNicol, Glasgow, was sent by the Church of Scotland as his successor. He arrived in November, 1865, and had a hard task before him. The British regiments had left the town, taking with them many supporters of the church, and the whole province was suffering greatly from the effects of the war. Despite these difficulties, it was determined to build a church, and, on October 28, 1866, a hew 'building was opened in Devon Street on the site .where the present St. Andrew’s Church stands. The courage pf the easily churchmen is shown by the fact that the site anff building cost £1650, within the next two years the sum of £378 was raised, and the debt was finally cleared off in 1871. FIRST CHURCH BURNED. In June, 1872, the Rev. M. S'. Breach became pastor and the church made progress, but differences sprang up, and ten years later tlie minister resigned. A week later the church was burned; The insurance company' refused to pay the insurance, and the congregation- was left with neither church, minister nor funds. Services were held for a time in the Brougham Street Hall. With some help from outside a new church was built and opened on March 2, 1884. . The cost was £630, and the debt was reduced on the opening day to £3l. The Rev. W. Grant was minister at the time. He later gave service elsewhere and lost his life in the trenches at Gallipoli, where he was Chaplain to the forces. For some yeans ministers. came and went,, and the Rev. S. 8. Osborne, who began his ministry in 1894, was the first to make a long stay. During his period of service, which lasted 17 yeays, the.old manse in Devon Street was purchased and out-stations opened at Inlewood, Okato and Waitara.

Mr. Osborne was succeeded by the Rev. T. H. Roseveare in September, 1911, and the church profited by the growth of the population in the town. During his ministry the jubilee of the church was celebrated in. 1913.

On August 10, 1917,. the Rev. Oscar Blundell followed the Rev. T. H. Rbseveare, and the. development of Presbyterianism stepdily continued, A new manse was erected in permanent material in Gill Street, and in 1925 a start was made, with plans for suburban development. Committees in Moturpa, Westown, Vpgeltown and Fitzroy were set.up to select sites for the erection of school .halls in these districts. Sites in three of the suburbs were purchased. A Sunday school was started in Fitzroy, holding its services in the public hall. During this .period the membership rose to 250, and with the exception of a small balance unpaid on the manse the financial position ot the congregation had been put .on a solid 'basis. Before the new enterprise could be carried further the congregation whs suddenly deprived of their minister by the tragic death of the Rev. Oscar Blundell while making a trip on Mount Egmont on November 11, 1925. . • ,

The congregation then made one of the quickest settlements known to Presbyterians and sent a call to the Rev. J. D. McLennan Wilson. Mr,. Wil-, son -came from Waimate and at once entered into the schemes for development with energy. Instead of dividing the charge into two sections, a larger and more comprehensive scheme was adopted. It was to build a central church and Sunday school, and develop the Fitzroy suburb and the western portion of the town, so that ultimately there would be three Presbyterian congregations in New Plymouth. The. membership of St. Andrew’s has almost doubled in the last six years, and the finances have been almost trebled. Though a new charge has been formed with its centre at Fitzroy, the membership of St, Andrew’s still remains about 400. Three Sunday school halls have been built and- strong Sunday schools now exist in Fitzroy, Westown, Vogeltowu and Moturoa. Enterprise is also reflected in the undertakings of the congregation. A new, site was obtained in Liardet; Street, and the new stone church is in the course of erection at an outlay of £lO,OOO.